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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25298836">The Badger, the Bat, and one Bao-Mao</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azure_Umbra/pseuds/Azure_Umbra'>Azure_Umbra</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bro-Bao Bao [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Backstory, Getting to Know Each Other, Goodbyes, Heart-to-Heart, Letters, Outing, Regret, Reunions, Secrets, Skipping Class, Trust, Trust Issues, Wishful Thinking</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:41:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,003</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25298836</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azure_Umbra/pseuds/Azure_Umbra</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Badgerclops and Adorabat had their own new share of worries after Mao Mao came face-to-face with the brother he passionately hated and whom the two deputies only recently learned of his existence. When they run into him again while out on the town, they take the opportunity to decide what he means to them - their way, without their sheriff's intervention and influence.</p><p>-aka- Badgerclops, Adorabat, and Bao Bao get a proper introduction.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bao Bao &amp; Adorabat, Bao Bao &amp; Badgerclops, Bao Bao &amp; Mao Mao Mao, Bao Bao/Mao Mao Mao</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bro-Bao Bao [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1518473</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was approaching sundown in Pure Heart Valley when the three members of the Sheriff’s Department were relaxing in HQ, happy to finally wind down once their itinerary for the day was finally up. Inside, the sheriff Mao Mao was occupying himself with training in the dojo outside the house, practicing his various sword techniques against the obstacles deployed by the dojo’s systems. </p><p>“Hey Mao Mao, super moves!” </p><p>Mao Mao turned to the door to find the voice calling him coming from Adorabat. She was already perched on the shoulder of his other deputy Badgerclops. “Oh, hey. Thanks,” he replied from across the wide open dojo space. “What are you guys doing?”</p><p>“We’re just heading out to the town for a bit of shopping,” Badgerclops answered, gesturing with a thumb to the town area down below. </p><p>“Alright then,” Mao Mao affirmed, “but you better not be back late.” </p><p>“Yeah, we won’t, mom!” said Badgerclops sarcastically, earning a huff from the black cat.</p>
<hr/><p>Down in the town area, both badger and bat were prancing down the street, reveling in the fun they were having and laughing all the while. </p><p>“This is so great, Badgerclops!” Adorabat exclaimed jovially, unaware of a crumb of cake still on her face, “How are you so smart at sneaking out for fun stuff like this?”</p><p>“When you’ve hung around Mao for as long as I have,” he replied a bit smugly after a sudden burp, “you can figure out when  exactly he’ll turn his back to you.” He turned to face an intersection with a sign denoting shops for toys and antiques. “Hey Adorabat, wanna head over to the toy store?” </p><p>“Yeah, let’s!” Adorabat whooped in affirmation, even waving her wings as she said that. </p><p>“Okay then, let’s see what’s hot and rad this time!” Badgerclops went around the corner and followed to road down to the nearest modern tech toy shop. He lifted a hand to grab the handle of the front door and was about to touch it when another furry paw also reached for it too. “Oh, sorry,” Badgerclops quickly apologized for the small collision. </p><p>“Pardon me there,” a youthful voice simultaneously responded in kind. </p><p>It would have been over in an instant, except that Badgerclops and Adorabat suddenly froze when they thought about how familiar that voice they heard was, as though it reminded them of a voice they listened not too long ago. They both took a second closer glance to find themselves face to face with a bipedal cream-furred dog, one that was of a Shiba Inu breed with a white belly coat, curled tail, blackish eyes, and wore brown clothing plus had a large broadsword in a brown sheath hanging from his shoulder on blue straps. His fur was puffy in such a way that he seemed like a round marshmallow. The two deputies had seen this before, back when they were fighting a monster and witnessed Mao Mao encountering a face from his past. </p><p>Eyes were widened, accompanied by a couple blinks. </p><p>“You! You’re Mao Mao’s brother!” Adorabat cried out first. </p><p>“Uh…wait! Wait there! I’m not here to fight! Honest!” the dog rapidly tripped over his words, backing away with both paws raised for good measure. </p><p>“Dude, dude, no one said they’re gonna attack you,” Badgerclops intervened before things blew up too much, speaking assuredly to the dog. “We just…didn’t think we’d see you again after what happened last time.”</p><p>“Last time?” the dog said, “You mean back when Mao Mao was around and he told me to leave?”</p><p>“Yeah, exactly,” was Badgerclops’s wary answer. He paused to look the dog over for a little bit, but then beckoned him towards some other direction away from the shop all three would have gone in. “You...want anything?”</p>
<hr/><p>At a nearby café, the three were sitting at a table under a red and orange parasol among many others. Badgerclops had a king-sized glass mug containing a strawberry float. Adorabat had a pint-sized glass of fruit punch. The cream-furred dog sat quietly with a cup of blended tea in front of him. </p><p>“So, you really are Bao Bao, right?” Badgerclops spoke first to break the awkward silence. </p><p>“Yeah. It’s ‘<b><em>Bao Bao Mao</em> </b>’. Nice to meet you.” Bao Bao dipped his head a little bit to emulate a bow.</p><p>“Mao Mao told us quite a bit about you a while ago.” Badgerclops remarked.</p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure he has,” Bao Bao responded softly. “It’s lucky for me I got to meet you two without him being around, as much as that might sound wrong.”</p><p>“Yeah, Mao didn’t look really happy back in your last visit,” Badgerclops remarked, taking a sip of his strawberry float. </p><p>“But Mao Mao told you to go away last time,” Adorabat spoke up. “Why’d you come back?”</p><p>Bao Bao sighed, taking a teeny sip from his cup of tea, “Well, it’s just that last time was my very first time seeing Pure Heart Valley and I didn’t get a lot of time to see more of it before bro booted me out. I just thought I’d come back later for a little vacation, without the drama, you know?” </p><p>Badgerclops nodded slowly in wholehearted agreement. “Yeah dude, I hear you.” </p><p>Adorabat could no longer contain her curiosity by that point. “You’re Mao Mao’s brother right?” she began with a tone of frenzied probing, “Do you, like, know a whole lot about him? You have any cool moves or you learned stuff from your family? Did you and Mao Mao go on adventures together? Why’s your sword so big?” She was shortly held back by Badgerclops who asked her to go easy on the questions. </p><p>Bao Bao laughed nervously at the girl’s curious behavior. “Whoa, that’s a lot to answer in one sitting.” But slowly and surely, he began answering each question Adorabat had just asked him, giving answers that were as simple as he could give only the most important information. Both the bat and badger didn’t fidget in their seats once, too engrossed in what the brother of their best friend was telling them for anything else to matter. </p><p>But at some point, the two still had to remind themselves that Mao Mao was who they’ve known and trusted more, so they had to take what they knew about this dog who identified himself as Mao Mao’s brother with a grain of salt. </p><p>“So,” Badgerclops said carefully, “you know how long it’s been since you and Mao talked?” </p><p>Bao Bao frowned, redirecting his gaze to his cup of tea. “I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s been forever ago. Last time I actually saw him, we were just two crazy teens.” He turned his head up to look the badger in the eye. “So, are you Mao Mao’s new adventuring buddy?” </p><p>“Yeah, I’ve known him for a while,” Badgerclops answered, keeping his eye on Bao Bao in case he felt he was being asked an accusatory question. “What of it?”</p><p>The dog shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing, just asking. It’s just…well…I didn’t think Mao Mao would actually stop going solo after all this time.” </p><p>Badgerclops furrowed his brows as he recalled Mao Mao’s story of what went down between the two brothers when they split up. He remembered how the black cat described in vivid detail the agony that came with his little brother giving him the wound of a lifetime. While he already took Mao Mao as the hyperbolic type, he felt that the cat wasn’t actually lying about this for once; he felt complete earnestness behind his words. Nevertheless, he was willing to take the dog’s words with a grain of salt as well. </p><p>Bao Bao turned his head to focus on Adorabat. “So then…Adorabat, right? Are you Mao Mao’s friend too?”</p><p>Adorabat appeared to look proud. “I’m Mao Mao’s deputy,” she said with her wings on her hips. “I wanna be a hero just like him and he’s teaching me too. I’m learning.”</p><p>“Training, huh?” Bao Bao slowly nodded in affirmation, feeling a greater, though mild, admiration towards his feline brother. Honestly, his big brother never ceased to amaze him, even if he continued to pale in comparison to his father and sisters. From being a capable hero to doing real unique hero moves, and now passing on what he knew to an apprentice of his own, it made the dog feel even more conflicted. It tore him apart inside knowing that despite the damage he had done to him, he continued to grow and flourish on his own, away from his family. He might daresay that Mao Mao was able to surpass him <em> because </em> of that damage. Bao Bao had wronged Mao Mao and was confronted by evidence of Mao Mao becoming even better than Bao Bao was no matter how much he himself had progressed. While Mao Mao left the family to do his own hero thing and was now protecting a community and had a partner and apprentice, what did Bao Bao have to offer other than being “papa’s little puppy”? Sure he trained hard enough to be able to take down baddies on his own, but that was something every Mao was able to do. Sometimes he wondered if he wasn’t anything more than just some pup the cat (his dad, Shin Mao) brought in...</p><p>It was pretty much nightfall when the conversation ended, both Badgerclops and Adorabat realizing that they had been away from home for a long while, likely longer than they planned and longer than what Mao Mao thought they’d be gone for. </p><p>“You’re actually kinda cool,” Adorabat remarked, showing a new interest but still keeping her distance a bit due to Mao Mao’s stories of him remaining in the back of her mind, “I think stories about you are a lot better when you tell them.”</p><p>“Heh-heh! Yeah, that sure is true. That’s how a story keeps from getting old.”</p><p>“Well sure,” Badgerclops eased his way into the conversation’s train of thought. “Just as long as they’re really ‘open and honest’ if you know what I’m saying.” He didn’t press it further, but he was sure he detected a moment of unease on the dog’s face. </p><p>“Whew! That was quite a bit of time answering questions,” Bao Bao sighed, preparing to stand up off his seat. “I’d better find a place to turn in tonight.” </p><p>“But wait!” Adorabat begged. “There’s still more I wanna know!”</p><p>“Adorabat, you already asked him so much. He’s gonna run himself ragged just from talking,” Badgerclops joked as he tried to reign in the little bat.</p><p>“It’s fine,” Bao Bao assured the two. “I’m not leaving right away. I’m planning on staying for maybe at least another day, so we’ll have more time to get to know each other.” He just about turned around to leave when he heard Adorabat call to him again. </p><p>“Are you gonna see Mao Mao too?”</p><p>Bao Bao froze. Not a sound was heard except for a quiet ‘Adorabat, no’ coming from Badgerclops. </p><p>Bao Bao resumed his walking away from the pair. “It’s getting late. I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow.” He didn’t stop walking until he was out of sight. </p><p>Badgerclops and Adorabat turned to return to HQ as well, though there was the additional part of Adorabat looking and feeling a little sorry that she asked such a question.</p>
<hr/><p>By the time the two deputies came through the front door of HQ, Mao Mao was sitting on the couch, looking a bit sour. </p><p>“There you guys are,” the black cat remarked, flicking the foot of one of his crossed legs, “You were out for quite a while.” </p><p>“Uh, yeah. Yeah, we were,” Badgerclops replied first, wanting to answer any of his partner’s questions carefully to avoid creating another unneeded load of drama that he and Adorabat had their fill of already for one night. With a shared look from Adorabat, they proceeded to walk towards the bedroom to try and end the night. </p><p>But Mao Mao wasn’t keen on letting the night end on a cliffhanger. “Where’ve you guys been? You took longer to come back than usual.” </p><p>Badgerclops stopped in his tracks, feeling himself start to sweat. Adorabat also sweated a little as well. “Uh, well…” he racked his brain, “we stopped by the antique store and then…and then…” He momentarily blanked, panicking from the fact that he ran out of things to make up. Both the bat and badger could feel Mao Mao’s eyes drilling into his back. </p><p>“And then?”</p><p>“It was incredible, Mao Mao!” came the sudden blurting of Adorabat. “We saw this brand new toy that jump-danced over the trees, a bunch of berries that are famous for some kinds of cobbler, a mug that looked like you, a cupcake that looked like Badgerclops…”</p><p>“And I heard enough, thank you,” Mao Mao turned around to walk away, whipping up his cape as he did so. “Just make sure you unpack all the stuff you brought, okay?” He then went to the front door and stepped outside. </p><p>Badgerclops let out a sigh of relief once it was all clear. “Whew! That was close. Great save, Adorabat.” </p><p>Adorabat got off the badger’s shoulder to fly on her own. “When should we tell him?” she asked. </p><p>Badgerclops shook his head. “I dunno, little dude. I’d say when he’s ready, but knowing the way he was with his bro before, that might be a long time.” He then resumed walking to the bedroom. “I sure hope they’re both okay…” </p><p>Adorabat frowned. She would have to ask later if being like Bao Bao was going to be part of her future with Mao Mao.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had taken almost the whole day until Mao Mao finally decided he was done. The wait turned out to be much more exhausting than Badgerclops wanted it to be. When he was sure Mao Mao was going to be doing nothing in HQ, Badgerclops seized the chance to sneak out and head back to town.</p><p>As much as he trusted Mao Mao, he had to talk with Bao Bao again. He just had to know what was really up between them.</p><hr/><p>“The Sweetypies around here…you really put up with this every day?”</p><p>That question was the first one Bao Bao directed to Badgerclops once they managed to find a quaint and effective enough hiding spot on the rooftop of the hotel the dog stayed in the night before.</p><p>“Yeah, that’s the life,” Badgerclops sighed, leaning back a little on a stray ventilator. “And don’t look at me for living here. I have your brother to thank for that.”</p><p>“That?”</p><p>Badgerclops pointed above and ahead to the gigantic heart-shaped gem in the distance, sitting above the spire- like mountain in the center of the valley. Concentrating his directing at the x-shaped crack on the leftmost side, he waited until Bao Bao saw it too. “See that? Before me and Mao came here, that wasn’t there. That ruby’s what protected the valley from monsters. But then we came along and Mao crashed into it, making that crack. Now the valley’s a monster-magnet and we’re living here as the friendly neighborhood Sheriff’s Department.”</p><p>Bao Bao paused, unable to stop thinking about that truth swirling around in his head telling him that his brother landed in this valley because of a mistake he made. But that wasn’t what he got together with this…Badgerclops fellow for. He was a friend of his brother, perhaps more dear than how Bao Bao himself was now. He knew that Mao Mao would never let him near his deputies as long as he was around, so today was an opportunity to get to know about how Mao Mao was doing through these people.</p><p>“So…Badgerclops…you’ve been with my bro for a long while, I take it? Are you his partner?”</p><p>“Partner and co-hero, to be exact,” Badgerclops clarified.</p><p>The dog raised an eyebrow at how the badger boasted of this supposed fact. “And that’s been your calling your whole life?”</p><p>Badgerclops didn’t seem to notice the tone Bao Bao took with him. “Eh, well maybe not a calling but it definitely pays off better in the long-run. I just felt like sticking with Mao was the right choice after all.”</p><p>That made Bao Bao feel even more suspicious. “Pays off better? Right choice? What were you doing before that?”</p><p>That was when Badgerclops noticed the dog’s tonal shift. Sitting up straighter, he turned to face Bao Bao and leaned forward at him a little, using his right eye to try and stare into Bao Bao’s soul by means of the dog’s own pair of eyes. “Why do you wanna know?” he quietly demanded of Bao Bao.</p><p>Bao Bao felt the sting of Badgerclops’s question, making him tighten his face into a defensive expression. “I’m just trying to look out for my brother. It’s not wrong to have your family’s best interests at heart, is it?”</p><p>“Yeah, and I’m sure cutting off your own brother’s tail is your greatest act of true love.”</p><p>Everything suddenly became dead silent after that. Badgerclops started wondering if Bao Bao might have been caught off guard and stunned by his retort. To his own surprise however, he found himself with a finger pointed at him right between his eyes, connected to a horizontally raised arm connected to a dog whose face depicted a snarling expression of bared teeth and extremely darkened eyes.</p><p>“Don’t you dare talk about what happened like that,” he whispered threateningly with a timbre that was a half-hiss and half-growl. “I don’t know what Mao Mao told you, but you don’t know anything at all about me! How could you possibly get it?”</p><p>Badgerclops could only stare at Bao Bao’s accusingly pointed finger. He wanted to say something back, but one momentary glance at the dog’s face told him that he’d only dig himself deeper, even wondering how he’d fare in a fight against this Mao-trained dog warrior. He would never have second thoughts about defending Mao Mao’s honor; after all, he was his friend and known him longer and better than this supposed brother of his whom he had only just gotten around to learning of his relations to the black cat. But maybe that bit of snark might have been a shot too far.</p><p>“Um, sorry dude.” Badgerclops began warily, putting both hands up to better help himself along. “It’s just…that’s just the biggest thing Mao Mao said about you that I remember.”</p><p>Bao Bao kept up the silent glare for a moment, but then relaxed his arm, lowering it. He looked away to glance at the cracked Ruby Pure Heart in the distance. “Okay then,” he sighed, “Didn’t actually think bro would be so quick to share something like that. Normally, it’d be more private…But who am I to tell him what secrets to keep?”</p><p>Badgerclops didn't consider himself a psychiatrist or a counsellor, but from what he could examine from the faintly conflicted look on the dog’s face, he didn’t look as malicious as Mao Mao implied him to be. Did he look sorry? He did look somewhat regretful. But really, what brother would so willingly, even really, resort to something like amputation on someone who called him family. Good intentions or not, the consequences of such an action just don’t go away. Badgerclops himself wasn’t so sure if he could ever relax his guard towards someone if they were responsible for him losing his eye, his arm, or both. Then again, if it were possible that his stepbrother Gerald did that, he wouldn’t put it past him.</p><p>“You know,” Badgerclops spoke up again, getting Bao Bao’s attention, “I have a brother too.” That made Bao Bao’s ear twitch, leading to him leaning toward the badger to hear what to he had to say.</p><hr/><p>The further into the conversation Bao Bao went, the more he was enthralled with what he was hearing from the badger. He couldn’t believe how unpleasant Badgerclops’s home life had been, with a mother who belittled him and a stepbrother who exploited him as a child. Hearing that made him feel thankful he lived with the Mao family, at least as Mao Mao’s influence was concerned. Not that he disliked his only brother, but he had to admit that even he could be a bit much…even if the dog himself was the reason why that was.</p><p>But it was when Badgerclops answered Bao Bao’s question of how he meet Mao Mao that the conversation slightly became unsteady once again. “So you were a thief?”</p><p>“Hey, it’s not what it sounds like. I was just the muscle.”</p><p> “But the muscle is there to make the thieves’ job easier,” Bao Bao pointed out. “Did Mao Mao pay you more for your muscles?”</p><p>Badgerclops huffed, putting his hands on his sides. “Well excuse me! It’s not like you got a family who thinks you’re uncool to the point you’d try to find validation with anyone else!” He turned away with a shuffle and crossed his arms over his chest, determined to make the dog feel bad for his words just as the former did earlier.</p><p>Bao Bao paused, feeling like the shoe really was on the other foot this time. Badgerclops’s situation seemed to remind him of what his early childhood was like before his and Mao Mao’s father took him in, with how he had a less than pleasant life before being offered a hand and olive branch by someone of the Mao clan. While his early life wasn't shady by any means, it was still quite dirty and ragged.</p><p>It was Bao Bao’s turn to apologize. “Well, I’m sorry too,” he said more quietly, “I just didn’t want to believe bro would have an adventuring partner again after me, much less get one who wasn’t a hero like him, but…you just wanted to find somewhere you’d belong.”</p><p>Badgerclops looked him over briefly, but then nodded his head in his direction. “Yup, that’s how it really is with me, and don’t you forget it.” He then looked away to lean back a little, stretching his regular arm over his head. “Well, enough about me. You, on the other hand, are quite the mystery,” he sighed. “So what’s your story? How’d you get into a family of cats?”</p><p>Bao Bao silently hesitated due to the first thing that popped into his mind when he heard the badger’s question. He could remember the circumstances that led to his adoption, though he couldn’t quite pinpoint why exactly that was. Nevertheless, the badger asked for a story and the dog already knew enough of what to say.</p><p>“Well,” the dog took a breath, “let’s just say that I wasn’t really a stray…”</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Bao Bao, before he became a Mao, didn’t even have a name.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Stuck in a tiny hamlet in a forest several miles from other larger neighboring villages and towns, no one who lived there really lived. The hamlet was so small that it was composed of only a few houses, covering an amount of ground comparable to a single suburban block. As for where Bao Bao lived, it was a miniature shack the size of 8 garden sheds, a square spanning 4 sheds with the other 4 stacked on top. It had the appearance of a ramshackle house. But the dog-then-puppy wasn’t the only one living in that house – he lived alongside 11 other orphans in the same space, meaning that the nights were often crammed, but thankfully during the day, none of them stayed inside except for when it rained.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With only an adolescent-size t-shirt on his back (too big for him), Bao Bao himself didn’t have much to do. He spent much of his days sitting on the shallow single-step porch of the house, watching the adults and the other 11 orphans going about on their daily routine. The other kids weren’t much better either. The hamlet was so poor with very few adults who were all stretched thin chopping wood and panning for minerals at the nearby river, not to mention traveling to the surrounding villages and towns by foot to sell their wares and then come back, that there was no time for any of them to play with the kids. There weren’t even any toys for the kids to play with either, so they were left with nothing to do but wander around the grassless yard, not once going past the fences surrounding the house.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Despite the adults trying to procure as much wood and minerals to sell at available markets, those wares didn’t sell well, and however much money was earned was spent on trying to buy enough food for everyone, both children and adults, back home. As a result, everyone tended to eat in rations, comprised of either rice balls, soy wafers, or both. The kids would clamber near the fence whenever a grownup would arrive with their share, receiving at least one rice ball and soy wafer, 2 of each if they were lucky. Aside from that event being the only time of day when they’d get their next meal, it was the only thing they could do after a listless day of nothing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then one day, in a shocking strike of bad luck for everyone living there, a monster attack occurred at a neighboring village which was so intense that the damage spread to the hamlet as collateral. Homes were damaged, even destroyed, and both adults and children were forcefully scattered in the chaos. The orphans’ shack was among the buildings destroyed and the kids were nearly forced into the river.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Despite being tired and hungry just beyond what he could barely handle, Bao Bao tried to rescue a couple fellow orphans when he saw them about to be swept away in the water. Despite his best efforts, he was too weak to do it, and he would have gotten swept away along with the two he tried to save.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>That was when a hero flew into the scene, coming to the rescue: a tall and strong black cat in golden armor, a red cape fluttering behind his back. In an astonishingly short time, he had swooped in and scooped up every child who was in danger, Bao Bao included, bringing them to safety beyond the reach of the river and the damage caused by the attacking monster. After fighting and defeating the monster, the imposing cat hero managed to convince the hamlet’s neighbors to lend their aid to the impoverished and homeless residents.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As for the kids, they were relocated to a makeshift shelter where they were cared for until they could be adopted by families who wanted them. It took a while, but after a few weeks, the kids were one-by-one adopted by a number of families, every one of them generously given the chance to have a better life. The 12 orphans’ numbers shrank until eventually, only one was left.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bao Bao felt hopeful, counting on the good luck his other 11 fellows had when being adopted in short order to soon be accepted by a family as well. A week passed, then two, then three, until it had been over a month. Seeing that he was waiting for that long while the other kids got adopted in a few days, Bao Bao began to wonder when exactly a family would come. Those thoughts then evolved into a question of whether or not there were any families who wanted to adopt him at all. In a short while, the hope he once had turned to discouragement, and then despondency. The other kids had been adopted so quickly and his turn for adoption took too long. He thought he could escape the futureless life of sitting on a porch staring out into the harsh and unforgiving world, but it seemed that it wasn’t to be. He was never going to be adopted, to have a family. The little fire of happiness he once had from the first weeks living in the shelter went out.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bao Bao had not expected it, but the time had come for the shelter to be dismantled, as the hamlet was deemed beyond recovery – the trees were gone and so was the river. Everyone had already taken all their belongings and left the place to be deserted. From what the puppy understood of that, he had nowhere left to go. There wasn’t anything left for him to think about. But then along came another element he didn’t expect:</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In a brand new stroke of luck, he caught a glimpse of the same golden-armored cat who rescued him and the other kids from the river during the monster attack all those weeks ago. He was surprised that the feline hero would return when his business with the puppy’s community was effectively already finished. He was too young to understand or make out what the cat was discussing with the adults and elders, but only became interested once he saw the giant warrior spot him and turn to look at him, their eyes meeting each other’s. It then led to the warrior walking right up to him and kneeling down on one knee to look at him eye-to-eye. It wasn’t quite equal eye-level as he still towered over the puppy, but the question that was asked of the child was clear – <strong>“You want to come home with me?”</strong></em>
</p><hr/><p>“Wait, golden-armored cat?” Badgerclops finally spoke up after thinking Bao Bao finished his story. “That’s Mao Mao’s dad, right?”</p><p>“And my dad too,” Bao Bao clarified, not once averting his gaze from the Ruby Pure Heart to look at the badger sitting next to him.</p><p>“So then what’d you say to him?  Did you want to go home with him?”</p><p>“Of course, I went home with him!” Bao Bao said as though he was asked a most ridiculous question. “When he asked me if I wanted to, I just jumped at him and grabbed him by the leg and didn’t stop hugging it. It was my way of saying yes in the most dramatic way I could think of.”</p><p>Badgerclops snickered to himself, <em>“Yup, you’re Mao Mao’s brother alright…”</em></p><p>Bao Bao then leaned forward, turning to Badgerclops as though he was ready to giving a close probe or examination. The impression was not lost on Badgerclops either.</p><p>“So what do you think? Am I still a bad guy like bro says?”</p><p>“Well, maybe if you were lying…” Badgerclops tried to ease in a suitable answer, but then forced out another sentence to avoid falling into another proverbial pit, “…but I’m actually really surprised I never heard this before. I didn’t think that’d be your story, but ever since Mao started talking about you, I hadn’t heard a single good thing.”</p><p>Bao Bao sighed. “Yeah, I don’t blame you…the things between my bro and me…it’s complicated.” He then turned to look at the badger again, waiting for him to return eye contact. “So none of it’s your fault. You didn’t do this…”</p><p>He looked away again to try and distract his mind from the conversation for a bit, as it felt that at this point, it was truly getting harder to keep talking. He didn’t notice Badgerclops getting back onto his feet, but he did feel a hand lightly touching his shoulder, prompting him to look up at the badger who appeared ready to leave; Bao Bao didn’t judge, considering that he too noticed how late it was getting.</p><p>“Hey man, I’m just getting to know you. I didn’t have to, but I actually snuck out behind Mao’s back earlier so we could talk.”</p><p>Bao Bao’s eyes widened, then laughed nervously. “For real? Well, you better hope he doesn’t find out what you did now! I’m sure you already know how he is!”</p><p>Badgerclops returned the gentle mirth in kind, shrugging his shoulders. “What I’ve seen, what I haven’t seen…it’s just half after half!”</p><p>They both shared a little chuckle, though they briefly looked at the Ruby Pure Heart and the moon above in the night sky for a last change in scenery before Badgerclops left.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> Earlier in the day... </em>
</p><hr/><p>The following day was no less dull than yesterday.</p><p>Then again, no one in the Sheriff’s Department could recount the last time Adorabat had actually gone to school. Most of the time, she was out with Mao Mao and Badgerclops looking for the next monster or Sky Pirate attack to neutralize. There was never a chance for dullness in any of those moments.</p><p>But today, Adorabat told Mao Mao that she was thinking of attending her school again, at least to break up the monotony. Mao Mao and Badgerclops wanted to make sure they heard her right, but she assured them that they did. It appeared even nonstop days of sheriff action could get boring too. Nonetheless, Mao Mao predictably told her how much he approved of her current decision and consequently offered to drive her there on the aerocycle.</p><p>Surprisingly for him though, Adorabat declined. She didn’t really decline the ride, to be clear. She still accepted an aerocycle ride to her school, but she wanted Badgerclops to take her. Mao Mao was initially confused as to why she would specifically pick Badgerclops for the task and explicitly leave him out of this, but he figured that it was just ‘one of those days’, considering she hardly went anyways.</p><p>Once Badgerclops had finally landed on the ground in front of the school, Adorabat hopped off and waved him goodbye. The badger had also reciprocated the farewell and flew off after promising to come back to pick her up. It was when Adorabat knew he was out of sight that she could let out a big toothy grin, taking off in the air in the opposite direction of the school.</p><hr/><p>Bao Bao had just finished searching through a street vendor tray of crispy desserts, presented to him by a cheery little yellow mouse who had a pink heart on her cheek. Particularly, they were all triangle-shaped turnovers that were advertised as being filled with berry jelly of all kinds. Bao Bao was pleased at the varieties to choose from, but at the same time, he had difficulties picking one for whatever reason. He thought of picking a berry turnover that had blue or purple filling, but it reminded him of his family’s code against eating anything that looked like that in particular. He then considered a turnover with red filling, but it looked too much like Mao Mao’s red attire, and he decided it was still too early for that. He could have settled for a yellow-filled turnover, but there weren’t any. He eventually bought himself an orange-filled berry turnover, though he wasn’t particularly fond of that kind.</p><p>Sitting on a bench while munching on his dessert, Bao Bao reminisced on his encounter with the bat and badger from yesterday. He felt that it wasn’t too bad getting a real first meeting with them. After all, aside from feeling a bit tense from the last experience, the meeting could only happen because Mao Mao wasn’t around. Again, he told himself, it’s not that he didn’t like his big brother’s company. (It was technically the other way around) It was just that things have been so difficult in their last meeting and he was afraid that the burning cold reception would persist. He knew his brother too well to think a second encounter with him, with or without his deputies, would work any better. It was a little too early.</p><p>It was when he got the feeling that he wasn’t alone that he looked to the side to find a little blue bat perched on the stone ledge next to the bench he sat on. She was apparently munching on a berry turnover too.</p><p>“Dah!” Bao Bao jumped, skittering away from the bat to the other end of the bench. With a knee raised to further distance himself, the dog nearly dropped his turnover. “It’s you!”</p><p>Adorabat tipped her turnover dessert in a gesture of goodwill. “Yup! It’s me, Adorabat, the bat from yesterday coming to talk to you again!”</p><p>Bao Bao blinked as he wondered for a moment what Adorabat meant by ‘talking to you again’, but then his face changed from confusion to profound realization. “Oh, yeah! I said I’d talk to you again last night. Looks like I gotta hold my word on that.” He laughed a little nervously while rubbing the back of his head as he spoke.</p><p>Neither the dog or bat said anything for a little while, being at a loss at how to start. Both simply opted with taking a few more bites out of their own berry turnovers.</p><p>“So,” Bao Bao spoke first uneasily, “um…how old are you…Adorabat, right?”</p><p>“I’m 5!” Adorabat proclaimed proudly in the middle of chewing her turnover.</p><p>Hearing that almost made Bao Bao choke. “5!? You go out to help Mao Mao every day and you’re 5!?” He took a pause to swallow his current turnover bite and clear his throat. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”</p><p>Adorabat didn't seem bothered by his response, lifting her chin up nonchalantly. “I go to school. I don't go all the time, but everyone’s okay with it.”</p><p>Bao Bao just turned away slowly and stared into nothing with a faintly vacant expression. She’s 5, she goes out on dangerous monster-fighting duties with two grownups, and doesn't go to school regularly…just what kind of life is Mao Mao making this girl live? What kind of place is this valley? “Well, your school doesn't mind you not going, right?” he asked again for one last brief request for clarification.</p><p>Adorabat answered him while she was chewing, “Nope! I'm free to do what I want!”</p><p>Bao Bao still felt a little uncomfortable at the fact that was staring him right in the face, but he knew he still knew next to nothing about what life in this valley was like, so he stayed silent. At the same time, he tried to suppress a gnawing feeling in his gut when he observed that the turnover Adorabat was eating had a green-colored filling, which aside from making him wonder how that was even possible with such berries, reminded him of the last time he and Mao Mao saw each other before their reunion. He sincerely hoped he didn't screw things up for his brother too much or too badly.</p><p>“Well then, if that's so,” Bao Bao said carefully, ruminating on what to say next, “you know any real good spots in Pure Heart Valley to explore?”</p><p>Hearing that made Adorabat perk up energetically. With one bite, she gobbled up the last of her turnover and simultaneously began listing the things Bao Bao asked to hear from her, never mind that she was still sending crumbs flying as she exclaimed with a muffled voice, “Oh, I know a few cool spots! Follow me!” With that, she took off into the air, flapping her wings furiously as she ascended close to the rooftop level of the surrounding houses at a rapid speed.</p><p>Bao Bao scrambled onto his feet to try and catch up with her. “Wait for me!”</p><hr/><p>It took a little while thanks to Adorabat's extensive tour of all her favorite spots, including but not limited to a cave stashed with bones. (Bao Bao had intense mixed feelings about that) But they both eventually settled on a small woodland grove near a shallow river, particularly one that was known to be where the valley’s purest waters flowed.</p><p>“Wow,” Bao Bao marveled, “the trees really make this place look like heaven.”</p><p>“Yeah, it's pretty,” Adorabat reciprocated. “I don't go there a lot but it still stays the same.”</p><p>“Do you like the valley?” </p><p>“Well, it's nice, but it gets boring a lot of the time.” Adorabat initially looked glum, but she then looked perky and energetic as she continued, “but then Mao Mao showed up and now every day’s an adventure!” She widened her wings with that statement.</p><p>Bao Bao gave a faint lopsided smile. “You really like him, don't you?”</p><p>Adorabat nodded. “Yeah! He’s the coolest hero I ever met and I wanna be a hero like him! He's always fighting to protect everyone and he always thinks of me.” She sighed warmly, “I love Mao Mao.”</p><p>Bao Bao’s heart sank a bit. There was someone who loves his brother, loved him in ways he never saw coming from his father, and yet despite being compelled to feel happy for him, Bao Bao instead felt like he had been wounded. Something about that statement of love cut deeply into him. Mao Mao always had room in his heart for this little girl and that same girl wholeheartedly returned that affection tenfold, more than he ever got before, and yet at the same time, all the times shared between him and Bao Bao -the brother who had known him, played with him, went on adventures with him, allowed him to  confide his feelings with- no longer meant anything. He could only hope fairness was on Adorabat's side and would remain so for the rest of her life.</p><p>“You know,” Bao Bao calmly interjected, “Me and Mao Mao were really like good buddies when we were kids.” When he saw the bat turn to look at him, he carried on. “I was more or less your age when I met him, and since then, we stuck fast and hard, doing everything together.” </p><p>Adorabat frowned from hearing that. From what she had seen of Bao Bao up until this point, he didn't behave like anything from how Mao Mao described him. The black cat consistently emphasized the dog’s treachery and how that was evidence that he never held any real love for him from the start, but right now, the dog seemed to be completely earnest. But she remained quiet as Bao Bao continued.</p><p>“We both had a lot in common with each other besides being the only boys in the family. We both wanted affection a whole lot, we liked playing pretend-adventures, we looked for role models, and just flat-out preferred to not be alone.” Bao Bao took a moment to glance at his reflection in the water of the stream next to him. “I think Mao Mao saw that too. He probably couldn't have been happier to have a family member who was almost just like him…”</p><p>That was when Adorabat found her speaking voice again. “Then why did you hurt him?”</p><p>Bao Bao stood still, wordless. Of course his brother told her and the other one, the badger, what he had done. He understood that from hearing the question itself, and he had no doubt that Mao Mao would have been asked about that part of his past at some point before. However, at the same time, he wondered if Adorabat was asking him about some other ways he might have hurt Mao Mao apart from the cave. Maybe she was asking him about how he had their dad all to himself. Maybe it was about the times he cut short the times he spent with Mao Mao to do hero training or other family activities. Maybe it was about how he never actively stood up for Mao Mao despite him having already tried and failed to make his own case...</p><p>“I…” he began slowly and warily before easing in his answer some more, “I didn’t mean to...I wasn’t trying to hurt him.” He paused to look at Adorabat, instantly seeing a look of disapproval on her face. “I never wanted to hurt him,” he continued a little more defensively, “I don’t hate him at all. Ever since I got to know him as a kid, I always thought he was amazing, and I still do now. It’s just...” He tried to continue on, but for the moment, he couldn’t come up with an answer that was best suited for a child like Adorabat.</p><p>“Just what?” Adorabat tried to give him a push. “Mao Mao told me how much you hurt him and he looked really hurt. You talk about him like you love him, but how was what you did to him ‘love’?” </p><p>Bao Bao took a deep breath. “It...wasn’t like that...at least the whole time.” He stopped to kick a pebble into the water. “Before I became Mao Mao’s brother, I never had a family. I know I had parents before, but I never got to know them. It was just me and a bunch of other kids I couldn’t be bothered getting to know.”</p><p>He paused to take notice of Adorabat’s steadily surprised expression and then continued, “Once I became part of his family, I saw right away that he was the only other kid there besides me. Everyone else was pretty much a grownup next to us, so naturally, we stuck together.” He took another long look at Adorabat. “Doesn’t look like you have a problem with being the Sheriff’s only kid, though.”</p><p>“Nope,” Adorabat replied while doing a loop-the-loop in mid-air. “I like it when Mao Mao looks at me. Who needs other kids like me when I got him?”</p><p>Bao Bao shivered, though he added, “What about your badger friend? He looks at you too?”</p><p>“Yeah, Badgerclops does too, but Mao Mao’s who I really wanna be like!” </p><p>Bao Bao only returned her words with another slow wary nod. “Well anyway, everyone in my family was really interesting to me, and meeting them all only reminded me of how different I really was next to Mao Mao. I mean, not that he was exactly the same as the other Maos, but next to him, I literally stuck out like a sore thumb.”</p><p>“Were they nice to you?” Adorabat asked.</p><p>“Yeah, a lot of them were,” Bao Bao answered with a slight side-to-side bobbing of his head, “I know my sisters were a lot, my dad even more so. But there were also others who saw me as just an acolyte.” </p><p>“Wait,” Adorabat interrupted, “What's an acolyte?” </p><p>“A student, more or less. Otherwise, the relationship was like that between complete strangers.” Bao Bao briefly digressed. But he continued, “I had all the older members of the Mao family to teach me how to be like them, but it was different learning from Mao Mao. He was a kid like me but he already knew more than I did about how to fight like a hero. I just felt like I could identify more with that.”</p><p>“Oh, so that means Mao Mao was also your master!”</p><p>Bao Bao laughed. “Yeah, if you put it that way. But it was more like I learned better when I had another learner next to me, made me feel comfier. And I guess he really liked my company, maybe he knew I was like him too.” He stopped to sit down and recline himself against a tree.</p><p>Adorabat landed next to him, though she still maintained a distance of several inches away from him. She still looked somewhat dissatisfied with what the dog told her so far. “But if you and Mao Mao have so much in common together, why did you still hurt him?” she insisted. “Mao Mao doesn't like you anymore. I don't think he wants you to be his brother anymore. Why?”</p><p>The return of that question which now came as an onslaught of other additional queries made Bao Bao lose his initial light demeanor once again. His eyes lowered, knowing he had to answer the child but unable to look her in the eye once he does so. </p><p>“Love…” he began uneasily, “it’s…sometimes, it can be messy.” He was speaking more quietly, continuing to look at anywhere Adorabat wasn’t. “When you love someone, you'd do anything for them. At the same time, you'd do whatever you can to not only keep them happy, but also safe.” Bao Bao gulped a bit, trying to swallow back an urge to howl. “I just wanted to protect my big bro. I only wanted to help. He kept trying to do things for me that I just felt bad for simply letting him without lifting a finger, so I wanted to show him I had his back. As much as I didn't want to…to…” </p><p>Adorabat remained silent, unsure how she should cut in to Bao Bao’s speech, but felt like she shouldn't for the time being. She could only listen as the dog continued. “I didn't want to, you know? But I didn't know what else to do. Dad was always trying to teach me the best he could, spending so much time with me, that I was just caught up in all the love I never got to enjoy before he adopted me. I was sure bro loved me a lot and wanted me to love him back…I just…couldn't help enjoying the others’ love more.” </p><p>Bao Bao closed his eyes. “When he eventually got the chance to remind me of that by inviting me on an adventure, I couldn't say no to him. It was my chance to make up to him all the time we didn't get to spend together. But when the accident happened, I got scared, so scared that I couldn't think no matter how hard I tried to. Mao Mao was about to get seriously hurt and I had to hurry and find a way before that happened. I didn't know what else to do, but I couldn’t figure out anything better. So I did the next best thing…”</p><p>Adorabat watched the dog lean further until his elbows were directly on his knees, breathing in and letting out deep and harsh sighs. “I wished dad was there so I could ask him what I was supposed to do. Then maybe I wouldn't have made that mistake. I wondered if bro was going to hate me no matter what I did…”</p><p>Adorabat could say nothing in turn. She only watched as Bao Bao stared speechlessly at the river in front of him, the beauty of the water and the trees no longer having any effect on him. She was already familiar with Bao Bao trying to prove Mao Mao’s stories of him wrong since yesterday, but after hearing what he had said just now, she could really see that Bao Bao wasn’t anything like Mao Mao said about him, or at least not anymore. </p><p>Mao Mao told her and Badgerclops, with astronomical emphasis, how the dog was remorseless and completely fake in his brotherly affection and camaraderie with him. But within the first moments of seeing Bao Bao meet Mao Mao again, he was apologizing at every breathing chance he got and didn’t defend himself or even attack back against the black cat once despite the latter’s aggressive belligerence. Granted, there may have been a chance he was trying to feign innocence, but most people who've borne the brunt of Mao Mao’s energy would not be able or willing to maintain such an act or lie for longer than 5 minutes. But Bao Bao, despite Mao Mao shaking him down so intensely from before, insisted on and stayed true to what he said. It could only mean he was sincere. </p><p>Seeing how emotionally cracked the dog appeared to be, Adorabat went right over to him and placed a wing on his knee. Bao Bao lifted his head up to notice the source of the touch, the little blue bat looking right at him with a melancholic tenderness in her eyes. For several counting seconds, neither one said a single word.</p><p>Bao Bao took a deep breath and released it in a soft sigh. “Sorry. Look at me, gushing about my own insecurities and family issues to a 5-year old. I’m not sure if I’m making any sense to you, but…” he looked at Adorabat directly in the eye and gave a small smile, “...thanks a lot for listening.”</p><p>Adorabat wasn’t too bothered by his comment. In fact, she seemed to take pride in it. “That’s okay. Mao Mao talks to me and Badgerclops about his problems all the time, so I know what it’s like.”</p><p>Bao Bao’s ears perked up in instant curiosity. “Really?” he leaned closer to Adorabat, his perky inquisitive attitude having now returned, “Has he told you almost all of his life story already? Every last detail?”</p><p>Adorabat swung one leg a little bit, her wings behind her back and her eyes looking in another direction but her smile not leaving her face. “Well...he said a lot, but not all of it’s completely true. Mao Mao likes to exaggerate.”</p><p>Bao Bao’s face changed to that of an inquisitive daredevil. “Oh, is that so? What stories and which parts did he exaggerate? Maybe I know them…”</p><p>Adorabat gasped, her eyes widened and sparkling with luminous enthusiasm. “Were you with Mao Mao in some of his stories?” she squealed in elation, her wings held up to touch her cheeks. “I think I know some! Mao Mao told me a whole lot!”</p><p>“Lay it on me, kiddo.”</p><hr/><p>In the midst of the trees of Pure Heart Valley, accompanied by the sounds of the purest waters and the songs of birds along with the curtain-like rays of the sun seeping through the leaves and branches, life had returned for both dog and bat...</p><p>The jabbering had truly just begun.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next morning had just rolled in, the sun peeking above the mountains that bordered the valley in the distance. It was still a little bit of the wee hours of the morning, so not many Sweetypies were out and about on the streets. However, there was one person who was standing close to the front gate of the town, next to town square where he reunited with his brother for the first time and fought off a very special and personal monster at the same time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Shiba Inu took a moment to glance back at the sleepy settlement where he knew his brother lived in and defended as his own. He would have stayed a little bit longer just so the badger and bat would be awake to say goodbye, but he knew there weren't any ways for them to get around the sheriff. After all, their work together wouldn't start anytime but the mornings.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bao Bao gave a little smile to the town and turned around to leave through the gate. He’ll come back another day. He just had to take it slow, easy and slow. He hoped he could count on the valley’s local post office to ensure what he wanted to tell the Sheriff's Department’s two deputies reached them.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>At the Sheriff's Department HQ, the day had officially begun. The three had gotten right out of their three-tiered bunk bed and moved quickly to start on a few warmup activities and then breakfast, save for one member who crawled his way out of bed and tried to skip right to breakfast. Too bad for him, Mao Mao was quicker, dragging Badgerclops away from the kitchen and into the dojo to get the first stage of morning routine over with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah ah ah! It's time to be working up the hero’s muscles and appetite before getting fueled up,” Mao Mao playfully chided Badgerclops, his grip tight on the badger’s bandolier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mao, please…” Badgerclops groaned right back, not even lifting his chin off the wooden floorboards as he was dragged by the smaller black cat, “I'm running on empty here. Just a little bit of fuel, it's all I ask…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once it was actually breakfast time, the atmosphere in the house was much livelier. Mao Mao pranced about in the kitchen getting all the ingredients to make an omelette while Badgerclops meticulously went over his ingredients and measurements to make another omelette. All the while, Adorabat sat in the living room across from the kitchen entrance, asking if breakfast was almost finished and ready.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can we eat yet?” Adorabat called out. “My stomach's being rumbley again!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No worries, Adorabat!” Mao Mao reassured her, “We’re almost on the home stretch! Soon the early-rising hunger will be vanquished!” Right as he said that, he did a flying midair slice on a set of bell peppers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After breakfast was over, it was time to head out on their daily patrol. Being the one to take the most initiative, Mao Mao felt the need to head to the front door of the house before going to the garage below. He slid the door open to prepare to leave when his eyes  widened at the sudden appearance of Mail Mole standing on the porch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh? What? Mail Mole?” the sheriff gasped at the unexpected sight. “Is there any trouble?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No no, that ain't why I'm here,” Mail Mole shook his head. “I'm here 'cause you got mail.” Saying that, he lifted a hand holding an envelope to the sheriff, who took it warily. Not taking any time to look at Mao Mao's examining of the delivered item, Mail Mole turned away to head back to town.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Mao Mao eyed the envelope carefully. Badgerclops and Adorabat looked over both of the black cat’s shoulders to see what exactly he had in his hands. What all three of them saw written on the back of the envelope prompted Badgerclops and Adorabat to smile with glee and wide sparkling eyes while Mao Mao appeared to deflate with disappointment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a letter for us!” Adorabat was the first to state with a pleased tone of voice. “It’s got our names on it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Badgerclops only giggled. “You and me, kiddo! You and me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But why not me?” Mao Mao whined with a groan in his voice and a stomp of his foot. “Why’d I get left out of the receiver’s list?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Badgerclops shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe everyone thought you needed a break from the fan mail?” That made Mao Mao look even more irate, simultaneously eliciting a stifled laugh from Adorabat who was perched on the badger’s shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Mao Mao,” Adorabat consoled him, “mail or no mail, we still love you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The words were sufficient enough to make Mao Mao feel a little better, evident by the recomposed air of pride in his posture. “Why thank you, Adorabat. It’s good to know you always got my back…” his voice still delved into a low scowling pseudo-whisper, “...though I wish you’d write me letters…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both the badger and bat had a laugh at the cat’s behavior even when said cat returned inside the house to head to the garage where the aerocycle was. Given that they all still had to leave in order to do patrols, Badgerclops and Adorabat decided to read the letter at a later time. After all, it wasn’t like reading it on the ride into town was an option.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>For the entire day, Badgerclops and Adorabat held their breaths. Because they were in Mao Mao’s presence, they had to anticipate the potential for him to have another combusted runin with his brother Bao Bao once again. After what they learned from spending time with him, respecting his decision to come back after their last encounter, they didn’t want such an incident to repeat itself more than ever. The whole time, they hoped he left already, even though it meant they wouldn’t get a chance to see him off. Fortunately, neither one of them nor Mao Mao saw Bao Bao the whole day, so an open public meltdown was avoided.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Another stroke of luck came when Mao Mao told Badgerclops and Adorabat that he had to attend to another business matter on his own and told the two to resolve some other issue in another part of the valley. As soon as Mao Mao left and went out of sight, the pair seized the opportunity to sit down and read the letter that was sent specifically to them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s see what’s written in this baby,” Badgerclops snickered. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Open it, open it! I wanna see!” Adorabat chimed in with a frenzylike tone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither one was prepared for what was written in it:</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Dear Badgerclops and Adorabat,</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It’s me, Bao Bao, the dog who you hung out with for the last couple days. In case you were wondering, I wanted to say bye to you, but I know you have your sheriff work and someone you know might keep you from reading this if he found out. Plus, he’d likely give you heck for even taking it, considering you already got within inches of me personally. That’s pretty much why I didn’t write my name on the envelope, so sorry for the suspense. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I just wanted to say that I really liked our talks together and I kinda look forward to coming back to pay you guys another visit. Hopefully someday in the future, I could do it with Mao Mao too, if he wants.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You know this already, but things between my brother and me aren’t so good. I don’t think calling it like your typical family dramas does it justice. Maybe it does, but it sure didn’t feel like it for me. It was just wound after wound nonstop from the day we split up to the present, and what’s worse was knowing that all of it was my fault. It’s not hard to understand why Mao Mao’s still hurt by those memories, or as you said, Adorabat: ‘he doesn’t want me to be his brother anymore’. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Hey Badgerclops, remember when you commented on me cutting Mao Mao’s tail off as an act of ‘true love’? You weren’t completely wrong there. I mean, my brother was trapped under a boulder and in serious pain. I don’t know how you would solve these kinds of problems, but I’m sure it would’ve been much worse to just leave him like that, and it wasn’t like I could lift that rock up myself. Believe me when I tell you that my big bro’s still stronger than me by far.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Growing up together, I had the faint feeling that Mao Mao was frustrated with me, mainly for how I got to spend so much time with our dad compared to him. Whenever dad needed to do his duty of the man-to-man, dad-to-son (cat-to-dog?) stuff, it was always with me. I’ve never seen him do that with Mao Mao and if bro ever talked to me about it, it’s pretty much a wish that he got that same fair treatment. But like the puppy I was, I just pushed it aside, thinking it might just blow over and be another one in a million funny memories. But I guess it wasn’t so funny in the end.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t expect you to like me or take my side. I didn’t write this so that you would. It’s just...considering we only just met, there’s still so much left unsaid and I just don’t want you to take this whole situation between me and my big bro the wrong way. It’s complicated and I can’t fault Mao Mao for how he thinks of me now.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m not asking or telling you to like me, but...if you could find some way not to hate me, that’d be good enough, at least for me. Who knows? Somewhere down the road, we could be really good friends. But hey, a dog can dream, right?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It was great to meet you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Bao Bao Mao</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Badgerclops and Adorabat sat silently, unable to comment on what was in the letter. The most they could muster was an exchange of eye contact that reflected the same concerns they had for their friend Mao Mao since this whole episode started. Every bit of evidence that pointed to the contrary of whatever Mao Mao said about him just kept tripping them up, and with Mao Mao’s insistence that he knew better and told the pure unadulterated truth, the choice of what to believe made them feel that much more torn.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guys! There you are!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The loud, sudden, and unmistakable voice of Mao Mao pounded the badger and bat back to reality, with Badgerclops instantly swiping the letter in his paw from his front to his back, hiding it. As Mao Mao approached, both him and Adorabat put up a fake grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you reading that letter?” Mao Mao probed with a pout, apparently still sullen over the seeming fact that he didn’t get an anonymous mail of admiration. “So who’s the admirer?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Badgerclops was the first to respond with a nervous laugh and nervous sweating. “A-admirer? Well, it’s a secret admirer, so I can’t really tell you now, can I?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on,” the black cat teased, wagging a finger, “spill the beans.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Badgerclops shook his head in desperation, “Nuh-uh! Secrets are secrets, and they should stay that way!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Adorabat decided to fly off the badger’s shoulder before she stepped in to help him out. “Badgerclops is right, Mao Mao. A secret admirer should stay secret. But I’m pretty sure that admirer is the same one who writes you letters too.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That made Mao Mao shift to a contemplative stance. “Hm, I suppose it could be a Sweetypie I know,” he thought out loud. “Is it Chubbum?  Maybe Muffins or Marion? Slim -er- never mind. Better not be Pinky…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they watched Mao Mao get lost in speculation, Adorabat looked at Badgerclops and gave a thumbs-up the best she could with a wing. Badgerclops responded in kind, only adding a smile to the combo. At the very least, he wasted no time secretly and hastily pocketing the letter into one of the pouches of his bandolier without Mao Mao looking, crumpling it a little.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For the sake of his cat friend, it was best to not let this proverbial ‘cat’ (or in this case, ‘dog’) out of the bag just yet...</span>
</p>
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